Yamaha CrossCore RC: First Ride Impressions

We got a chance to ride the The Yamaha CrossCore RC on a beautiful morning in Southern California. The Yamaha CrossCore RC is a Class 3 rated bike with pedal assist up to 28mph. It is a versatile lifestyle and fitness bike with an upright seating position and flat ergonomic handlebars. This makes it a great bike for commuting, just going for a spin on the neighborhood, or running errands.

The CrossCore RC features Yamaha’s 500 watt hour battery integrated into the frame. The battery is removable so you can charge the battery on or off the frame. Charge time for the battery is just 4 hours so you can get going on the road quicker. Having the battery integrated into the frame helps keep the silhouette of the bike sleek and balance out the weight of the bike.

This powers Yamahas all new PWseries ST drive unit. The mid drive PWSeries ST drive unit delivers a natural feeling power assist using Yamaha’s quad sensor system. This features a new Automatic mode along with 4 manual modes you can choose from. Yamaha’s Proprietary Quad Sensor System features torque, speed, crank, and angle sensors to adapt immediately to the riding conditions and deliver a natural power assist. The automatic mode uses all these sensors to adjust between ECO, Standard, and High for optimal performance and efficiency. I opted to use the automatic mode for most of our ride today and was impressed with the smooth transition between assist levels. It worked super well when transitioning from getting to the top of the hill to the flat part of the road and it was very nice to not have to think about toggling through modes.

On the bars is a new display to access your bike’s information. From this display you can access a ton of information from your speed, mode, battery capacity, trip distance and so much more. There is also a LED headlight standard on the bike that has a  dedicated button on the display for easy access. Speaking of the bars, the Crosscore RC comes with flat alloy bars with ergonomic grips. The upright sitting position is comfortable and natural and these grips give nice support on your hands.

The Shimano 9 speed thumb shifter is easy to access on these bars, and having the choice of 9 speeds lets you have plenty of choices to keep you pedaling with ease on the flats or up a hill. It is equipped with Shimano hydraulic brakes front and rear to bring you smooth and dependable stopping power. All these levers are easily accessible on the ergonomic flat bars.

To add to the comfort of the bike there is a SR Suntour NEX E25 front suspension fork with 63mm of travel. This helps smooth out bumpy or rough roads when they become rough. Even with the added cushion up front it does not affect the handling of the bike in a negative way. Adding to the comfort of the bike is the 27.5 inch wheels mounted with 2 inch tires. These large volume tires help dampen out rough roads, and with the suspension fork give you a smooth ride. The tires also have a reflective strip to help with visibility of the bike in low light. We had a chance to take a packed dirt path and the tread on the tires had no problem with grip. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s an off road bike, but it can hold its own when the road ends and the dirt starts.

The Crosscore RC is fender and rack compatible to give you some options to make the bike work best for you. It would be very nice to have add rack to carry some cargo, which the bike can definitely handle.  The bike is also equipped with an integrated kickstand for easy parking and storing. It comes in three colors, Painted Desert, Shiver White, and Urban Sage. The Yamaha CrossCore RC weighs in at 52.2 for the small, 52.4 for the medium, and 52.6 for the large.

The comfortable upright riding position and the smooth ride makes this a really great bike for the casual rider looking to go further and get a boost from Yamahas great motor technology. The bike handled great and you can tell Yamaha went through great lengths to consider the comfort of ride while maintaining good looks with the integrated battery. It is available now in the US and Japan for $3,099 and it comes with Yamaha’s three-year warranty on the drive unit, 500-watt-hour battery, and frame.

Available now in the USA and Japan only.

Price: $3,099
Sizes: 54cm (S) / 57cm (M) / 60cm (L)
Weights: 52.2 lbs (S) / 52.4 lbs (M) / 52.6 lbs (L)
Website: Yamahabicycles.com